DENIAL OF RUMOURS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 135, 5 December 1930, Page 10

DENIAL OF RUMOURS

THE FATAL DIVE

DR. ECKENER'S THEORY]

(British Official Wireless.) (Received sth December, 1 p.m.) KUGBY, 4th December. Opening to-day's session of the KIOI inquiry, the President, Sir Jofin Simon, referred to certain rumours concerning the flight which the Court had thought it right to investigate. The baseless character of these rumours was well illustrated by the story that Miss Winifred Spooncr, the well-known airwoman, who is on the way to the Caps and was forced down yesterday near.. Belmonte, had been in the KlOl, and had perished in the crash at Beauvais. Sir John Simon called on Dr. Eckencr, commander of the Graf Zeppelin, and expressed the gratitude of the Court and the British people to him for coming to assist the investigations." Dr. Eckener, in his statement, reviewed the facts of the disaster. He concluded that the first downward movement was caused by a gust' of wind and head heaviness due to the leakage from the fore gasbag. .In a. sudden ' movement the damaged gasbag received a large ren.t and the escaping gas went into the tail and increased the difficulty of righting the ship. In a second dive, due to the same causes, she crashed. He considered that the fire after the crash" was probably caused by a short-cir-cuited wire. Sir John Simon stated that he hoped the inquiry would finish to-morrow.